What is an Eviction

Authored By:
Legal Hotline for Texans

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Your landlord can evict you if you do not pay your rent, if you do not pay the full amount of your rent, or if you pay your rent late. The landlord can also evict you if you do not obey the terms and conditions of the lease you signed, or if you damage the property.

To evict you, the landlord must go to court. The landlord cannot personally force you out of the apartment or house, cannot get the police to force you out before the court eviction is completed, and cannot lock you out of your apartment or house. The landlord can change the lock, but must leave a
written notice on the front door telling you where you can get the new key to enter your place.
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To evict you, the landlord must first give you a Notice to Vacate, called a three- day notice. This is a notice from the landlord. It is not a legal paper. The notice to vacate shall be given in person or by mail at the premises in question. The notice period is calculated from the day on which the notice is delivered. It is not proper for a sheriff to deliver the three-day notice, but sometimes they do. When you get a three-day notice, you do not have to move out. The three-day period may be shortened or lengthened in a written lease.

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